The invention relates in general to the drawing-up of messages in character string format in electronic apparatus, and in particular to the creation and sending of short messages by means of an electrical communication device.
The short message service (SMS) is a method of comunication known from digital mobile phones, two-way paging devices and other corresponding communication devices, wherein a sender creates and sends by means of his apparatus a character string which is signalled through the communication system without the establishment of an actual telephone connection. Transmission of short message requires only a little capacity of a transmission system, as compared to a circuit-switched or facsimile connection, so it is advantageous to use the SMS to convey short notices.
In the prior art, when a user creates a short message, he forms the character string one character at a time. A digital mobile phone usually has a has a keypad containing number buttons and special character buttons as well as function keys. Because of the small size of mobile communication devices and the relatively large number of letters, the devices usually do not contain letter keys, but the user enters the letters using a special letter selection function, pressing number, special character and function keys in a certain order. Characters thus entered are shown on the device""s display.
The formation of a textual message by means of the method according to the pripr art is relatively slow since the selection of one letter may require several keystrokes.
An object of this invention is to provide a method whereby a short message can be quickly and easily formed so as to be sent.
This and other objects of the invention are achieved by a menu-controlled formation of a short message, wherein the user selects parts of the short message on the basis of questions and/or options presented by the communication device.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of creating a short message having a number of data fields on a mobile communications device or subsequent transmission via a short message serive (SMS), the method comprising presenting a separate data input request to a user for each field, receiving a user response to each request, and compiling the received responses into a short message for said subsequent transmission.
Preferably, at least one of said fields consists of a plurality of alphanumeric characters.
Preferably, the step of compiling the received responses comprises inserting field separators between the said fields. Alternatively, or in addition, said fields may have a predetermined length.
Preferably, said step of presenting separate input requests comprises presenting for each field at least one possible response, said possible response being retrieved from a memory of the device, wherein said user response may comprise accepting said presented response.
Preferably, the number of fields making up said short message is predetermined and is stored in a memory of the device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method fr creating a short message on an electrical communication device, which short message is a string of charactes complying with a predetermined structure, characterised in that the communication device presents to the user data input options according to said struture and, in response to data entered by the user, said communication device compiles said short message in accordance with said structure.
In an embodiment of the invention, the syntax of short messages needed often or regulary is stored in the memory of the mobile phone or other communication device in the form of questions and/or options. The storage may be permanent in nature or it can be realized dynamically by loading the user interface part for a certain short message application in the communication device when needed. The loading according to need may be realized by delivering to the user a smart card or other memory medium which, when connected to the communication device, places the data in it at the disposal of the communication device. The device shows to the user on its display questions and/or menu options and the user responds to them either by entering characters by means of the device""s keypad in a known manner, or by choosing one of the options given on the display. An option can be chosen in such a manner that the user e number button representing the option in question or moves the cu the desired option and presses a certain Enter key. When the mes user presses a certain send or end key or responds confirmatively and end questions so that the device saves the message in memo immediately via the communication network to the recipient in a kn
Embodiments of the invention not only bring improvements on the characteristics according to the prior art, but provide a totally new and unforseen function which until now has not even been required of short messages. Since the messages formed by means of the method comply strictly, if required, with a certain constant syntax, they are easily understood by a human recipient and are also suitable for futher automatic processing by a receiving machine. This means the receiving apparatus can for example perform certain commercial actions (cf. telebank) or collect standard-form short messages from several senders and draw up statistics and reports based on them. Short messages according to the prior art have been free-form combinations of words and sentences and their recipients need to posses human intelligence to understand them.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, typing errors can be avoided if the sender creates the short message by successively choosing the desired multi-choice options, thereby avoiding the need to form words one characterat a time.
Standard short messages have many possible applications, e.g. in the internal communications of a company, in trade between companies or private persons, and in communication between a consumer and a service provider.